What Are Californians Thinking?

If this chart were a slide, it might be too steep for small children...

​The big takeaway from this week's comprehensive Public Policy Institute of California Statewide Survey was that Meg Whitman's stock has gone down as badly as, well, all stocks. Also, Jerry Brown is poised to knock off either Whitman or Poizner.

Good to know. But the survey is a 36-page document. What else is in there? Glad you asked...

Marijuana legalization

​Sounds like a no-brainer if you're in the Bay Area, right? Well, 56 percent of us are in favor. However, according to the survey, "residents in other regions are divided or opposed." Overall, 48 percent of Californians are for it and 49 percent are against it. Other interesting stats:

Latinos don't want legal weed -- 62 percent oppose it. White people favor it (56 percent). Men are for it (54 percent). Women aren't (42 percent). One more thing to argue about. Finally, when it comes to medical marijuana, 76 percent of Californians are in favor of allowing it. That includes 82 percent of Democrats and -- surprise, surprise -- 68 percent of Republicans.

What to do about that goddamn budget?

Intriguingly, 51 percent of Californians think it would be a good idea to lower the legislature's required two-thirds vote for passing a budget -- but keep it for passing state taxes. Only 47 percent favor lowering it for both. Even still, Sen. Mark Leno has to be a bit optimistic.

A full 81 percent of respondents felt the budget situation is "a big problem" -- which leaves us wondering what the hell constitutes "a big problem" in the eyes of the 19 percent minority.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a goddamn bum

​The governor's approval rating -- 23 percent -- and disapproval rating -- 65 percent -- are as negative as they've ever been. He was 11 percent more popular last year -- and 34 percent sucks, too.

...And so is everyone else

Just 16 percent of those polled believe the California Legislature is handling its job adequately; 72 percent are dissatisfied.

Not surprisingly, we're all goin' to hell

Well, let's let the numbers speak for themselves:
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